Honeymoon Itinerary Check (11 nights)

Hello all! Doing an itinerary check for my honeymoon next month, any advice or thoughts are appreciated! Doing a lot of stuff on points (the hotels except for the ryokan; the flights). Since it’s the honeymoon, money is not a limiting factor for us. We like art, culture, and food (especially fine dining). We’re well traveled, but Japan has been at the top of the list for several years now. We’ve each been once, but as a teenager (me) and a child (my bride to be).

Itinerary is roughly Tokyo for 4 nights, Hakone for 2 nights, Osaka for 3 nights, Kyoto for 2 nights, home.

**Day 1**: **Landing at Haneda from DC at 3:20 pm.**

Plan here is to get to the hotel (Andaz Tokyo), hopefully by 5:30. Open to either transit or a taxi here, whatever is fastest. Then I booked a food tour in Shinjuku for 7:00. This feels aggressive for a couple of reasons (tight timing potentially if immigration hits a snag; doing a food tour straight off a 14 hour flight) but I think it could help us beat jet lag (I struggle with jet lag) and not “waste” the first day of the trip. After that, go to the hotel, crash, hopefully sleep through until the morning.

**Day 2**: **Ghibli and Asakusa/Akihabra?**

Only thing we have booked on this day is the Ghibli museum at 10:00 am. I wanted to leave this day pretty open to account for potential jet lag; time needed at the hotel, etc. Ideally, after Ghibli I’d want to tour both the Asakuka and Akihabara neighborhoods. Is that too packed in for one day? I was thinking Senso-Ji, and then arcades/shopping in Akihabara. We’re not MASSIVE otakus, but we enjoy a few animes and like playing video games. Interested in food recs for this day, and I don’t have reservations for it.

**Day 3**: **Tsukiji, Teamlabs, Sushi in Ginza**

Plan for this day is to get up early, and go to Tsukiji market. (Reason I’m doing this today instead of Day 2 is Day 2 is a Wednesday when I understand a lot of shops are closed?) I’m wondering if we should get a guide for this, or if this is doable on our own. I have nothing more than phrasebook Japanese, my fiancee’ has been duolingoing for a few months and has a bit more of a grasp. She’s only studied Chinese so the Kanji isn’t completely foreign.

After that, we’ll go to Teamlabs Planets (thanks for correction!). Then the day is pretty open until an 8:30 pm reservation at Ginza Harutaka. *Interested in advice on filling the day between Teamlabs and dinner. Continue on to Odaiba maybe?*

**Day 4**: **Kusama, Shibuya, Narisawa**

Have 11:00 am tickets for the Kusama museum. After that, plan to head down to Shibuya for the day. Do the Shibuya crossing. The probably a museum or two until a 5:30 dinner at Narisawa. I have my eye on Nezu, Mori Art, and 21_21 Design Sight. *Any advice on this is greatly appreciated*

Ideally I wanted to see the 2nd half of the NJPW wrestling show at Ryogoku after dinner, but with a 6:00 start time vs a (likely long) 5:30 dinner, I don’t think that’s going to work out. So looking for advice on nightlife in the Shibuya area! I’m assuming that’s a better bet than the area around the hotel for nightlife (Toranomon Hills). Not looking to dance; a cool hole in the wall with great cocktails is more the vibe I’m looking for.

**Day 5**: **Transit to Hakone, Ryokan.**

We’re gonna ship our luggage through from Tokyo to Osaka. Have a romance car booked on the observation deck from Shinjuku station to Hakone at 1:20 pm. Depending on how early we get a start on this day, would like to check out Shinjuku prior to that, maybe grab ramen somewhere? We’ll get in to Hakone right in time for the Ryokan check-in (it’s at 3:00 pm). I personally feel like 2 nights in Hakone is a lot, but my fiancee’ really wants a restful portion to the trip, and I think this will be that! We’ll just hang out in the onsens in the room and in the general areas for the rest of the day, Kaiseki served in the room.

**Day 6**: **Hakone**

Breakfast in the room. Maybe a soak before that; we’ll see when we get up. Then my general plan is to do the Hakone loop. Wondering how long that will likely take in practice. I’d be willing to dump that and just go to the Hakone open air art museum instead, which looks very cool. *Interested in thoughts on this.* Another kaiseki dinner and hang out in the room/ryokan. Probably a drink at the ryokan’s shochu bar.

**Day 7**: **Head to Osaka, Dotonbori food tour.**

Check out from Ryokan is at 10:00 am. Then we’ll head to Osaka. **What are the best trains for doing this?** Seems we backtrack a bit to Odawara, then shinkansen to Osaka? Should I book this in advance? We’re not doing JR Pass, since we’re flying home from Kyoto, the math doesn’t seem to work out.

We’ll get to Osaka around 3:00 probably? Check into the hotel (W Osaka). Depending on energy level, either go out, or relax around the hotel until the Dotonbori food tour at 5:30. After that ends at 8:30, *looking for nightlife recommendations*.

**Day 8**: **Baseball game**

Going to the Hanshin Tigers game that night at 6:00 pm. Would like to get to the park by 4:30-5:00 to check out the scene and the museum before the game. Depending on tiredness, maybe Dotobori after, but maybe straight to the hotel.

*Looking for activity recommendations during the day here. Aquarium? Any cool neighborhoods to wander?* Maybe a day trip?

**Day 9**: **Day trip and Yakitori**

Think we’ll do a day trip here, only thing on the books is a reservation for Yakitori at 9:00 pm at Yakitori Ichimatsu. Tentatively deciding between Universal Studios, Nara, and Himeji Castle. Think I’m leaning towards Himeji. *Would love thoughts on this.*

**Day 10**: **Kyoto, Arashiyama, Gion**

Hope to get an early start, though given the late dinner that could be ambitious. Go to Kyoto, drop our bags and check in at Park Hyatt Kyoto. Doubt the room will be ready yet. Then go to Arashiyama. (Best way to do this? Just take a cab?) There’s an eel restaurant there I want to try for lunch, and then we want to see the monkey park. Figure we should do the bamboo forest too while we’re there, although reviews of that on this sub have been disappointing.

Then I think we’ll head back to the hotel area, and wander Gion for the rest of the day. Maybe do Teppanyaki at the hotel, it looks pretty good and has a gorgeous view of the Pagoda. This is the nicest hotel we’ve ever stayed at, so I do want to make some time to take advantage of it.

**Day 11**: **Kyoto, Fushimi Inari**

Do Fushimi Inari in the AM. Is there a good teahouse on that trail? Would love to do a proper tea ceremony experience, advice on that is welcome. After that, looking for advice for the PM. Would be interested in either shrines, museums, maybe philosopher’s path. Want to be back at the hotel by about 5:00 to get ready for our big final dinner at Kikunoi at 6:30. After that, sleep.

**Day 12**: **Travel home.**

Get a 7 am Japanese breakfast room service. Check out of the hotel and get a cab to the airport in Osaka. (Is this the move? Speed matters more than price here). Fly back home through Haneda.